[I’m participating in NaBloPoMo. Thirty days, thirty posts. Wednesday is Day Three, and I bring you a new weekly feature.]

One of the more challenging aspects to NaBloPoMo is content. As much as I would love to offer you thirty brand new recipes during this month of November, I know that is not a reasonable expectation in my life. Fortunately, I have Twitter to help me brainstorm ideas. Say what you will about that little blue bird, the website has spawned some great ideas. Today, my friend TJ, also a fellow NaBloPoMo-er, suggested:

Why not offer advice to the food & kitchen ignorant. What items should every newbie cook have in their kitchen/pantry?

At the same time, I noticed that one of my favorite [basic] kitchen gadgets was on sale on Ideeli. The timing works, so we have What You Need Wednesday. If you’re building a kitchen or just on the hunt for more solid items, I hope to bring you a few great items. They may not all be a name brand item, possibly just a solid recommendation of what to look for. But I hope you enjoy. [And hey, if you do have any recommendations or requests for Nomnivorous, don’t be shy! Let me know in the comments.]

Yes, yes, how exciting, a vegetable peeler! Ok, hear me out. If you don’t own a solid peeler, this is a great purchase. Obviously, we all know potatoes. And you’re more than welcome to peel the carrots in your thyme roasted carrots. But come summertime, this can also be incredibly handy for zucchini fettucine – use the peeler to make thin strips of zucchini. Toss with some parmesan, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic for a fresh, no heat, pasta replacement. There are a number of great uses for peelers and this one is pretty nifty. It rotates and swivels, it’s sharp and quick, and again, it’s sturdy. It’s not exciting, but hey, it IS useful. And currently, it’s more affordable on Ideeli than my go-to shopping website.